USA - Voice of Americahttp://www.voanews.com/archive/usa/latest/594/599.html usahttp://www.voanews.com/img/voa/rssLogo_VOA.gifUSA - Voice of Americahttp://www.voanews.com/archive/usa/latest/594/599.html en2012 - VOA60Sun, 02 Aug 2015 18:40:12 -0400Pangea CMS – VOASyrian Kurds Uneasy About US-Turkey DealAfter having proved themselves an effective fighting force against Islamic extremists, Syrian Kurds are worrying Washington will distance itself from their fighters and look the other way as Turkey resumes its war against Kurdish separatists.
The Kurdish militia fighting Islamic State extremists is accusing Turkey of targeting its fighters inside Syria four times in the past week, describing the airstrikes as provocative - and as evidence the primary enemy of Turkey's government is...http://www.voanews.com/content/syrian-kurds-uneasy-about-us-turkey-deal/2895809.html http://www.voanews.com/content/syrian-kurds-uneasy-about-us-turkey-deal/2895809.htmlSun, 02 Aug 2015 16:04:24 -0400Middle Eastwebdesk@voanews.com (Jamie Dettmer)http://www.voanews.com/content/syrian-kurds-uneasy-about-us-turkey-deal/2895809.html#relatedInfoContainerObama to Unveil Plan to Combat Climate ChangeU.S. President Barack Obama will formally unveil an ambitious plan to combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions from U.S. power plants. VOA’s Michael Bowman reports, the initiative faces stiff opposition from coal-producing states and their representatives in Congress.http://www.voanews.com/media/video/obama-climate-change-carbon-emissions/2895783.html http://www.voanews.com/media/video/obama-climate-change-carbon-emissions/2895783.htmlSun, 02 Aug 2015 14:57:00 -0400USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Michael Bowman)http://www.voanews.com/media/video/obama-climate-change-carbon-emissions/2895783.html#relatedInfoContainerUS Civil Right Activists to March on WashingtonTo highlight what they say is a fresh attack on equal rights, U.S. civil rights campaigners are marching 1,385 kilometers from Selma, Alabama, to Washington, D.C.
After starting at the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge, the "40-day-and-40-night'' march is to end September 15.
To mark the start of the so-called "America's Journey for Justice'' Reverend Theresa Dear told the Montgomery Advertiser newspaper, "We are doing something of biblical...http://www.voanews.com/content/rights-march-to-washington-starting-from-selma/2895619.html http://www.voanews.com/content/rights-march-to-washington-starting-from-selma/2895619.htmlSun, 02 Aug 2015 11:16:21 -0400USAwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)US Landmark Pushes Endangered SpeciesPhotos of endangered wildlife and an image of Cecil the lion were projected on New York's iconic Empire State Building on Saturday as part of a promotion for the documentary film "Racing to Extinction."
People gathered in streets and rooftops in Manhattan to see the image highlights that covered 33 floors of the building.
Cecil, the lion killed during a controversial hunt in Zimbabwe by an American dentist, was among several animals highlighted on the building. ...http://www.voanews.com/content/empire-state-building-highlights-cecil-the-lion/2895519.html http://www.voanews.com/content/empire-state-building-highlights-cecil-the-lion/2895519.htmlSun, 02 Aug 2015 09:08:46 -0400Arts & Entertainmentwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)http://www.voanews.com/content/empire-state-building-highlights-cecil-the-lion/2895519.html#relatedInfoContainerKerry Backs Egypt's Anti-terror Push, Seeks to Ease Iran Deal ConcernsU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Sunday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, in a diplomatic show of support for Cairo's ongoing faceoff with Islamist extremists in the Sinai peninsula.
The talks in Cairo focused on recent attacks on Egyptian police and military forces by Islamic State-linked militants. U.S. officials have also described the Kerry visit as a mission to ease concerns among Washington's Middle East allies about the looming nuclear deal with...http://www.voanews.com/content/us-egypt-broaden-engagement/2895455.html http://www.voanews.com/content/us-egypt-broaden-engagement/2895455.htmlSun, 02 Aug 2015 06:20:00 -0400Middle Eastwebdesk@voanews.com (Pamela Dockins, Lou Lorscheider)http://www.voanews.com/content/us-egypt-broaden-engagement/2895455.html#relatedInfoContainerObama to Unveil Plan to Cut Power Plant Carbon EmissionsU.S. President Barack Obama is set to unveil new regulations Monday aimed at cutting carbon pollution that comes from the nation’s power plants.
The goal is for plants to reduce their carbon emissions by 32 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2030. Individual states would be responsible for coming up with their own plans to meet the target. Those plans would have to go into effect by 2022.
Obama unveiled a preliminary version of the regulations last year that would have started two...http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-to-unveil-plan-to-cut-carbon-emissions-from-power-production/2895453.html http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-to-unveil-plan-to-cut-carbon-emissions-from-power-production/2895453.htmlSun, 02 Aug 2015 06:15:57 -0400USAwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)Researcher Who Studied Cecil Talks About Impact of Lion's DeathWhen Cecil the lion's carcass was finally found after he was lured out of a Zimbabwe wildlife reserve to be killed by an American hunter, it was a headless, skinless skeleton the vultures had been picking at for about a week.
Conservationists decided the most natural thing was to leave the bones where they were for hyenas to finish off, said Brent Stapelkamp, a lion researcher and part of a team that had tracked and studied Cecil for nine years.
Stapelkamp darted Cecil and put his...http://www.voanews.com/content/researcher-who-studied-cecil-talks-about-impact-of-lions-death/2894339.html http://www.voanews.com/content/researcher-who-studied-cecil-talks-about-impact-of-lions-death/2894339.htmlSat, 01 Aug 2015 21:32:29 -0400Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)Obama Making Case for Iran Deal to DemocratsDetermined to secure support for the Iran nuclear deal, President Barack Obama is making inroads with a tough constituency - his fellow Democrats in Congress.
A handful of key Democrats stepped forward to support the accord within hours of Obama's personal lobbying at the White House this past week, part of the administration's all-out campaign since the pact was announced July 14. Other Democrats have signaled they are leaning in favor and still others have remained undeclared,...http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-making-case-for-iran-deal-to-democrats/2893988.html http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-making-case-for-iran-deal-to-democrats/2893988.htmlSat, 01 Aug 2015 19:31:43 -0400USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)Trump Companies Sought Visas to Import Over 1,000 Workers Donald Trump is staking his run for U.S. president in part on a vow to protect American jobs. But this month, one of his companies, the elite Mar-a-Lago Club resort in Florida, applied to import 70 foreign workers to serve as cooks, wait staff and cleaners.
A Reuters analysis of U.S. government data reveals that this is business as usual in the New York property magnate's empire.
Trump owns companies that have sought to import at least 1,100 foreign workers on temporary visas since...http://www.voanews.com/content/trump-companies-sought-visas-to-import-over-1000-workers/2893982.html http://www.voanews.com/content/trump-companies-sought-visas-to-import-over-1000-workers/2893982.htmlSat, 01 Aug 2015 18:56:53 -0400USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)Firefighter Killed in California WildfiresBlazes raging in forests and woodlands across California have taken the life of a firefighter and forced hundreds of people to flee their homes as an army of firefighters continue to battle them from the air and the ground.
Twenty-three large fires, many sparked by lightning strikes, were burning across Northern California Saturday, said state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant.
About 8,000 firefighters were attempting to subdue them, something made...http://www.voanews.com/content/firefighter-killed-in-california-wildfires/2892920.html http://www.voanews.com/content/firefighter-killed-in-california-wildfires/2892920.htmlSat, 01 Aug 2015 13:28:43 -0400USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)http://www.voanews.com/content/firefighter-killed-in-california-wildfires/2892920.html#relatedInfoContainerKerry in Egypt for Talks on Security, Terrorism U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry opens talks Sunday in Egypt with his diplomatic counterpart on a range of security issues, as the Cairo government confronts growing terrorist threats in the Sinai peninsula.
American officials say Kerry's talks with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri aim to relaunch a strategic partnership slowed by U.S. human rights concerns over Egypt's 2013 military ouster of elected President Mohamed Morsi. The two governments have not addressed that...http://www.voanews.com/content/secretary-of-state-john-kerry-in-egypt-for-talks-on-security-terrorism/2892906.html http://www.voanews.com/content/secretary-of-state-john-kerry-in-egypt-for-talks-on-security-terrorism/2892906.htmlSat, 01 Aug 2015 13:16:41 -0400USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Pamela Dockins)http://www.voanews.com/content/secretary-of-state-john-kerry-in-egypt-for-talks-on-security-terrorism/2892906.html#relatedInfoContainerHead of Failed Japan-based Bitcoin Exchange Mt. Gox ArrestedThe head of the failed Japan-based bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox was arrested in Tokyo Saturday on suspicion of inflating his cash account by $1 million, authorities said.
Mark Karpeles, 30, is suspected of accessing the exchange's computer system in February 2013 and inflating his account, Japanese police said. If found guilty, the France-born Karpeles could face up to five years in prison, or a fine of up to 500,000 yen ($4,000).
Karpeles' lawyer said his client denies wrongdoing,...http://www.voanews.com/content/head-of-failed-japan-based-bitcoin-exchange-mt-gox-arrested/2892302.html http://www.voanews.com/content/head-of-failed-japan-based-bitcoin-exchange-mt-gox-arrested/2892302.htmlSat, 01 Aug 2015 11:55:47 -0400Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)http://www.voanews.com/content/head-of-failed-japan-based-bitcoin-exchange-mt-gox-arrested/2892302.html#relatedInfoContainerUN Envoy Jolie Spotlights Refugee Conditions in Myanmar Actress and humanitarian activist Angelina Jolie joined Myanmar's opposition leader and democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi, to sit down with female factory workers in Yangon to bring attention to the dire conditions in which they live and work.
Jolie, who is a special envoy for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, is on a four-day visit to the Southeast Asian nation.
During her meeting with the factory workers, on the outskirts of an industrial zone in Myanmar's largest city,...http://www.voanews.com/content/un-envoy-angelina-jolie-spotlights-refugee-conditions-sexual-violence-in-myanmar/2890589.html http://www.voanews.com/content/un-envoy-angelina-jolie-spotlights-refugee-conditions-sexual-violence-in-myanmar/2890589.htmlSat, 01 Aug 2015 09:08:47 -0400Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)http://www.voanews.com/content/un-envoy-angelina-jolie-spotlights-refugee-conditions-sexual-violence-in-myanmar/2890589.html#relatedInfoContainerAmericans' Anger Grows Over Killing of Lion The White House has received close to 150,000 signatures by Americans demanding that the U.S. dentist who killed a popular lion in Zimbabwe be extradited there for trial.
Zimbabwe on Friday also requested extradition of hunting enthusiast Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota who has been accused of illegally killing the lion known as Cecil.
Cecil was a subject of research and had become popular through videos showing him walking leisurely in the wild. The possibility that he...http://www.voanews.com/content/americans-anger-grows-over-killing-of-lion/2890561.html http://www.voanews.com/content/americans-anger-grows-over-killing-of-lion/2890561.htmlSat, 01 Aug 2015 07:56:26 -0400Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Zlatica Hoke)http://www.voanews.com/content/americans-anger-grows-over-killing-of-lion/2890561.html#relatedInfoContainerTrans-Pacific Trade Talks End Without DealNegotiations on a major trade deal have ended for now without agreement.
At a news conference late Friday, however, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said the 12 nations involved have made significant progress and are more confident than ever that a deal is within reach.
"After more than a week of productive meetings we've made significant progress and will continue to work on resolving a limited number of remaining issues, paving the way for the conclusion of the...http://www.voanews.com/content/trans-pacific-trade-talks-end-without-deal/2890535.html http://www.voanews.com/content/trans-pacific-trade-talks-end-without-deal/2890535.htmlSat, 01 Aug 2015 06:29:30 -0400Economywebdesk@voanews.com (Jim Randle)http://www.voanews.com/content/trans-pacific-trade-talks-end-without-deal/2890535.html#relatedInfoContainerSpecial Olympics Show Competitors' Skill, DeterminationSpecial Olympics competitions will wrap up Saturday in Los Angeles, and the closing ceremony for athletes with intellectual disabilities will be held Sunday night. In a week of competition, athletes have shown what they can do through skill and determination. VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports.http://www.voanews.com/media/video/special-olympics-show-competitors-skill-determination/2890499.html http://www.voanews.com/media/video/special-olympics-show-competitors-skill-determination/2890499.htmlFri, 31 Jul 2015 22:10:00 -0400Arts & Entertainmentwebdesk@voanews.com (Mike O'Sullivan)Special Olympics Show Competitors' Skill, DeterminationFrom table tennis to handball. Special Olympics athletes have given it their best, and some will take home medals.
Irish athlete Carole Catling earned a gold for table tennis, and table tennis player Olowoyuni Sunday won a gold in his division. His coach, Olawuyi Amoo, says it took practice.
“We come from Nigeria," Amoo said. "And before we came for this program, we made a provision where these athletes came for five weeks to train them toward these world games. And I think...http://www.voanews.com/content/special-olympics-show-competitors-skill-determination/2890497.html http://www.voanews.com/content/special-olympics-show-competitors-skill-determination/2890497.htmlFri, 31 Jul 2015 22:07:56 -0400Arts & Entertainmentwebdesk@voanews.com (Mike O'Sullivan)TPP Negotiators Fail to Reach DealTrade negotiators said late Friday that after a week of intense talks, they have made considerable progress toward reaching a major trade deal, but have not reached a full and final agreement.
U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said at a press conference in Hawaii that he is more confident than ever that a deal on the Trans Pacific Partnership is within reach.
He said negotiators will continue their intensive talks to reach a deal.
Negotiations among the 12 nations involved in...http://www.voanews.com/content/tpp-talks-appear-headed-for-crucial-stage/2890488.html http://www.voanews.com/content/tpp-talks-appear-headed-for-crucial-stage/2890488.htmlFri, 31 Jul 2015 21:13:41 -0400Economywebdesk@voanews.com (Jim Randle)http://www.voanews.com/content/tpp-talks-appear-headed-for-crucial-stage/2890488.html#relatedInfoContainerNorth Korea Ramps Up Rhetoric In Wake of Iran Nuclear DealNorth Korea is ratcheting up nuclear rhetoric to resist international pressure arising from Iran’s nuclear deal.
This week, the North mobilized its ambassadors to stress that Pyongyang is not interested in an Iran-type nuclear deal, and it will not negotiate away its nuclear weapons.
“One must say that the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula and the Iranian nuclear dossier are absolutely different in nature,” Kim Hyun Joon, Pyongyang’s envoy to Moscow, said in an interview with...http://www.voanews.com/content/north-korea-ramps-up-rhetoric-in-wake-of-iran-nuclear-deal/2890478.html http://www.voanews.com/content/north-korea-ramps-up-rhetoric-in-wake-of-iran-nuclear-deal/2890478.htmlFri, 31 Jul 2015 20:11:18 -0400Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Eunjung Cho)http://www.voanews.com/content/north-korea-ramps-up-rhetoric-in-wake-of-iran-nuclear-deal/2890478.html#relatedInfoContainerInclusive Gym Gets People With Disabilities in Fitness SpiritTeamwork is an integral part of the health and fitness program at Spirit Club, a gym in suburban Washington where most of the participants have autism, Down syndrome or other developmental disabilities.
“Our main focus is the same thing as any other gym, which is to help people be active and healthy," said Jared Ciner, who created the club in Kensington, Maryland, two years ago. "The difference is that we do modify a little bit to make sure that it is right pace for the people...http://www.voanews.com/content/inclusive-gym-gets-people-disabilities-fitness-spirit/2890440.html http://www.voanews.com/content/inclusive-gym-gets-people-disabilities-fitness-spirit/2890440.htmlFri, 31 Jul 2015 18:48:28 -0400Healthwebdesk@voanews.com (June Soh)http://www.voanews.com/content/inclusive-gym-gets-people-disabilities-fitness-spirit/2890440.html#relatedInfoContainer